AG report: Use of deadly force justified in Derry shooting death

CONCORD — Three Derry police officers along with a private Derry citizen were justified in their use of deadly force during a shooting on Driftwood Road in Derry on April 9 of this year.

That conclusion comes from the Attorney General's office, and was reported during a news conference held Tuesday afternoon.

Derry police Lt. Michael Muncey and officers Victoria Kidd and Timothy Undershill were identified as the three who fired their weapons during a confrontation with Christopher Coppola, 43, who was shot and killed.

Of these three, Muncey has been a police officer the longest, for 23 years, followed by Kidd with 11 years of experience and Underhill with four.

The private citizen was identified as Thomas Watson, a resident of Driftwood Road.

According to the final report released by Attorney General John M. Formella, Derry police had responded on April 9 after a call came in reporting someone with a shotgun was in the Driftwood Road neighborhood and had fired at a resident.

That resident was Watson, the report stated, who had returned to his home after picking up food for his toddler daughter's upcoming birthday party.

While Watson was still sitting in his truck at his home, he noticed a man he didn't recognize, now identified as Coppola, walking down the street who, according to the report, lived nearby.

As Coppola got closer, Watson saw that he was holding a shotgun. He then called 911 and also took out his legally-owned semiautomatic pistol he lawfully stored in his truck.

"From inside his parked truck, Watson watched as Mr. Coppola from a distance of about 16 yards away raised his shotgun that he held, aimed it towards the truck and fired once," the report stated.

Watson then left his truck and fired his pistol at Coppola, now running toward Watson.

Coppola then went and sat down against a tree on Watson's property.

Watson called 911 again and urged police to come quickly, saying Coppola was armed and in his yard.

The first police on the scene were Lt. Muncey, and officers Kidd and Underhill. Police told Watson to gather his family and leave the area.

The report then stated that police "repeatedly tried to assure Mr. Coppola that they were there to help him and repeatedly directed him to disarm."

Coppola did not lower his gun and while police continued to talk to him, he raised the gun toward nearby officers and fired once.

Muncey, Kidd and Underhill then each fired one shot at Coppola.

"Mr. Coppola was shot and killed during this exchange of gunfire," the report stated. "Nobody else was injured during Mr. Coppola's confrontation with Mr. Watson and then police."

The lengthy statement from the state also included eyewitness accounts, and much investigation into Coppola's previous behavior.

Derry police had responded to Coppola's home the day before the shooting incident after Coppola had called to report "suspicious vehicles were parked near his house."

Coppola also told police he felt he was being watched by drug enforcement agents, the state reported, but "he was not acting or speaking threateningly, aggressively or violently."

That same night, the day before the shooting, Coppola's mother saw her son retrieve from a closet "what she described as a rifle and place the gun on his bed."

The day of the shooting, Coppola had sent messages to a close friend stating that "oxycontin had ruined his life and asked his friend to take care of his mother."

Autopsy results presented by Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Mitchell Weinberg showed Coppola had been shot three times with the cause of death being a gunshot wound to the chest. Toxicology testing also showed Coppola had fentanyl in his system.

Derry police released a brief statement Tuesday after the hearing, thanking the Attorney General's office and New Hampshire State Police for their "thorough, factual and legal investigation into this matter."

Police went on to extend condolences to the families, friends and neighbors involved.

"We are requesting everyone to respect the privacy and personal interests of the family members and police officers involved in this matter," the statement read.

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